Revenge
by Artemussilvourfox
Summary: Pitch finds amusement in watching a woman exact her revenge on the men who wronged her twenty years ago. It was a simple premise: five targets, but execution takes many twists and turns to complete. Now if only she would quit making Dreamsand castles in his lair to annoy him.
1. Beginning

Beginning

The sun was rising.

The young woman pulled up her hood and wrapped the violet cloak tightly around her frame. She could tolerate a few hours of sun, but she would need to find a dark place for the rest of the afternoon.

A smile curled her lips as she recalled a discussion with her Sire about the subject. She had asked if moving by shadows when the sun was out would prevent the affliction to burning. _"Sure, but good luck during the noontime, there are no shadows then."_ That was his subtle way of saying 'don't ever do that **ever**.'

Her musing paused as her trek through the forest stopped at the skeleton frame of a bed. Upon closer inspection she saw that the bed was covering a giant hole in the ground. How strange, was this someone's way to prevent one from falling in? Why use a bed frame? The young woman could smell a cold, dark draft coming from the chasm. Air meant the tunnel opened into a cave and a cave meant shelter. She became amused again at the thought of sleeping with a colony of bats for the day. Then the woman could feel the warm rays of the sun on her back and a great irritation went through her frame. This sensation spurred her into the hole. What's the worse that could happen?

The tunnel twisted and bent for a very long time, the traveler almost considered turning back when the passage got wider and opened up into… "An underground city?" In the middle of Pennsylvania, how odd, but taking a closer look the woman noted the architecture was Italian if she was right. So what would an Italian city be doing in the Northeastern United States? Unless that tunnel was one of those obnoxious portals to a mythical creature's lair, great, just _peachy _that's exactly what she needed to deal with now.

As she walked along, the place appeared deserted, it was…nice, but the giant globe and cages that hung from the ceiling said otherwise. Her own footsteps were quiet as she walked, but she was waiting, waiting for some roar of anger, heavy footsteps or an attack from the shadows. Her gun was ready in her hand, concealed under her cloak. Entering an enclosure the woman glanced to the wall nearby and she just caught her own shadow changing shape. She paused then continued her path, she needed to let It think she didn't notice and plan how to act.

This was her plan: let the creature strike first and she would shoot the thing in the face, nice and simple. That time came when the woman sensed something was behind her, she told herself to keep her gun at her side. If It could disappear into the darkness then her gun drawn at mid-turn would make It run. What she didn't expect was a leering face inches away from hers. The face hung upside down from the ceiling, those grey eyes filled with mischief, "Boo."

The next second the creature fell to the floor and her gun was smoking. Her silencer prevented a loud bang. The woman kept her promise; she shot the creature in the face. No, it was a man, a tall dark man because he stood at his full height and towered over her, his slim pointed face contorted into anger as he covered the gunshot wound below his right eye. "You little-! You dare enter my palace and attack me!"

"You attacked first." She stated. For a moment she got to see the damage her gun did. A nice black hold right through his face, a trickle of dark blood fell from the wound and collected under his narrow chin. She composed herself with a grin as the man appeared even more flustered by what she said.

"Oh, so saying 'boo' is such a terrible assault for a trespasser?! Please excuse my rudeness Miss, next time I'll have plate of cookies and tea ready." The wound healed as he spoke his little quip.

He went silent when her fingers brushed the healed spot, "That sounds like a plan." His pale skin was cool except where her fingers touched the stickiness of blood that started to dry. "You healed pretty quickly. No harm done." She couldn't help her Russian accent slipping at the end and that got a visible distaste from the man. She removed her hand with a smile, "You don't like the Russians, _Tovarishch_?"

"I know a man with that certain origin let's say I'm not surprised." It was his turn to grin as she glared at him. "So what do you call yourself, Trespasser? Let me guess…Anastasia?" The look of absolute disgust on her face turned his grin into a wicked laughter.

"Lida," was her curt reply as if her name was more of a threat, "and what do you call yourself, the Boogedyman?"

His reply was smug, "_Boogeyman_ and yes I am known by that name." She stared at him and he wheezed a little chuckle when she replied that was a f-king lame name. "If you prefer 'His Highness the Nightmare King' that will suffice." Lida's response to that was a blank stare as if she was calculating where to shoot next on the target that was his face. He rolled his eyes, "Pitch." The man finished and walked away.

"Pitch?" She repeated and followed him to the globe.

"Black." Pitch stepped behind a column and moved back into the shadows.

"Pitch Black…" Lida was trying to decide if that name was lamer or it was better than Boogedyman. "So this is your 'palace'?"

"Oh? You were actually_ listening_ to me." The voice spoke behind her, but Lida knew he wasn't actually there and he was playing now, trying to show-off. "Yes, this is the place where I rule."

"Where are your subjects then?"

"…apparently not too well," He physically was behind her now, whispering in her ear. "I'm the King of Nightmares, of Fear, my subjects are not tangible things. They exist as manifestations of one's own fears and insecurities. The better question is…why are you here?"

She shrugged under her large cloak, "The sun was coming up and I needed someplace dark to stay until the evening." The hood on her head was removed and the man moved in front of her to look at her face. Was he actually trying to figure out what she was? It became clear when a slim hand cupped under her chin and his thumb pushed back her one cheek to see one pointed fang.

Pitch Black's face fixed in deep concentration as he murmured, "How strange," before directing the question at her, "are you new, vampire?"

"If twenty years since Embrace is 'new'," He released his grip and brought his hands behind his back, walking back and forth with a stiff regality. It reminded her of her Sire, he was shorter and much more built, but he carried himself the same. What was her Sire again? Roman or Greek, he mentioned it once.

"Well you definitely found the darkest place to stay. But let me ask you something," Pitch tilted his head over his shoulder, "where else have you hidden when the sun came up?" She answered what was available, the sewers, an abandoned house/shed, a cave, even underneath a bridge, "So why don't you go there then?" He cast an angry glare.

"No," and that answer got his ugly scowl inches from her face, "you'll have to put up with me until sunset."

"Or I could wait until you fall into your deep slumber and get rid of you then."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "We'll see about that." The two gave one another, the hardest, narrow-eyed glares possible and showed their pointed teeth in snarls.

_Six hours later._

Pitch slumped in his chair as he stirred the bit of sugar he placed in his tea. Was Pitch Black really so weak he couldn't get rid of a vampire, not a demon, but a once mortal woman who didn't even have the smell of death on her!? Pathetic is what it was. And 'Lida' wasn't normal in the undead vampire sense, his eye twitched when she took a bite of another cookie. Vampires shouldn't be able to stomach that not even one as young as her. Lida took a sip of her own tea, her maple eyes peering at him from under the cup's brim. Her eyes weren't even dull from death, but bright, it was disgusting! She returned the cup to its saucer and ran a hand through her wavy short brown hair. It was borderline messy, but it graced her face with a sweet innocence. The vampire was far from that and Pitch wasn't sure to admire it or blanch at it.

"How's your tea?" Pitch asked. Which sounded more like 'I hope you choke on it you little brat'.

"It's very good, thank-you." Lida had to admit she expected tea and cookies to be poisonous black crap. They actually tasted better than Althea's baking. "I appreciate your reconsidering my stay I'll be sure to mention your hospitality to my father."

The man responded to her little gag-inducing smile with a fake incline of his head of appreciation. "And who is your 'father', Lida?"

"Dante Melancton." The tea the Nightmare King just drank took a little detour down the wrong tube and he took a minute to correct it. That explained so much now and he genuinely smiled, so that creature was still alive. "You know him?"

"Yes, although I thought he was dead. I met him when I cast the world into the Dark Ages. He was very good at terrifying the Moguls and the stunt he pulled when thirteen accused 'witches' were going to be hung, scared the other villagers into near hysteria. Very nice work," This was probably the first time Pitch appeared genuinely happy, "give my regards."

"Of course," the vampire gave a deep yawn. Sure _now_ she becomes tired. "Again, I thank-you," she stepped out of her chair, "but I have much work to do in the evening and I would like to get some rest."

"Of course," Pitch repeated and added when she moved behind him, "pleasant nightmares." There was a momentary glance back on his part as one of his cages clanged loudly. Lida hung upside down from the bottom of it and her cloak wrapped around her like a pair of wings. "I have work to do in the evening." He mocked in a harsh whisper as he cleaned, "And what do I do? Work on my interior decorating?" The Nightmare King, again, looked up at Lida with all the dishes stacked in his hands and tea kettle on top. How did that human expression go? He dodged a bullet? Definitely.

Melancton was the son, estranged son, but still the son of Hades. It was not in anyone's best interest to be on the bad side to the Overlord of the Dead. The Shadow was not as strong since the battle with the Guardians and he would prefer not to get into altercations with any of his dark peers. It was sad to think that centuries ago this wouldn't have been an issue at all. Now here he was catering to the _child_ of a dark figure. "I've survived this long can I at least keep my dignity?"

From her perch Lida watched the man disappear into the darkness before closing her cloak. She then noticed her one finger still had a stain of his dark blood. It was more curiosity than blood lust when she sucked the finger clean. The sweetness surprise her.


	2. An Agreement

An Agreement

It always amazed her when she woke that it was at the right time when the last rays of the sun were drifting away. Even in complete darkness Lida could sense it was time and unfolded her cloak. "You're up early." Came the snide remark next to her and the vampire came face to face with Pitch Black standing upside down on the cage. Did she show surprise? She must have because the man gave a ghost of a smile before turning and molding into the shadows to reappear below her. Lida floated down, "Normally your kind don't wake until well after the sun's set…" On top staying up longer after the sun had risen.

One thought annoyed her at that moment. Did this strange man watch her the entire time she slept? "I should get going," Lida told him. She needed sustenance that cookies didn't offer and she needed to complete her task. She took a second to locate the tunnel she used to arrive here. "Bye."

"Where are you going?" Pitch rolled his eyes when she turned back with an affronted face, "your destination?"

Lida paused before carefully replying, "I'm heading to Washington D.C."

"Then might I suggest," a long pale finger pointed to another tunnel, "that way."

The vampire's face was trying to discern if Pitch was lying or she was losing her sense of direction in this place. "You have more than one exit?"

"No I just keep the one, you know the one that could be covered up at anytime by a Good Samaritan?" His tone meant it more as teasing than condescending. An outstretched arm motioned her to follow him. "Actually I have entrances to any part of the world I wish to visit. How do you think I spread fear and nightmares?"

"By the shadows," Lida offered with a shrug, "that's how I travel unnoticed."

Pitch wore the same expression when she revealed her father, surprise followed by an acknowledgement. As if it was forgotten but now remembered, "yes, yes that's true. Very true…" There was sadness there in his expression that disappeared just as quickly, "I did travel just by the shadows. Anywhere I wished I could go, but that was different, the world was different back then." He exhaled a deep long sigh, "So this is how I travel now."

"You're weaker." Lida figured that could be the only reason because she didn't have any trouble moving from shadow to shadow. Pitch lips formed an annoyed pout and as soon as they were in the cover of darkness he disappeared into them. The vampire followed suit.

"My palace rests under Venice, Italy." He offered this information instead. Lida mulled this over in silence and concluded it was his mentality. An overly proud man who can't admit he's weakened. "Here we are." They emerged through a hole in an abandoned building. The door was barricaded shut, so the two slipped out a broken window. Like any city, numerous lights dotted the landscape and from this point Lida could see the Washington Monument as a recognizable beacon. This shortcut definitely shaved a couple of hours. She glanced at the man who leaned against the building, staring at her and wincing. The lights were bothering him, Lida concluded and he sensed that. "Do you need directions?" Pitch snapped as she had stayed silent and hadn't moved for several minutes.

"No, I'm fine." In a sudden rush the woman's cloak formed into a set of wings and she took off. She first found a place to get a drink, a man leaving the office after working a long day. He would blame the wooziness on a lack of sleep. Lida smacked her lips to get rid of the aftertaste of caffeine that was in his blood. Within minutes she landed on the roof of the building closest to the Russian Embassy and surveyed the place for her target.

"You know it's rude to leave your guide behind," Lida jumped back at the smooth voice and Pitch Black was there laughing at her expense, "quite jumpy aren't we?"

How did he even keep up with her? The woman shook her head as she holstered the weapon she drew. "Do you need something?"

"No," Silver eyes followed back to the building where a man came into view at one of the large windows. Lida wasted no time drawing her gun a second time and taking aim. "You think you can hit him from here?" The question was in disbelief. Pitch raised an eyebrow when the woman's free hand pulled back the sleeve of her shirt. Right on the flesh of her elbow a wound started to form. His eyes were then drawn to Lida's own eyes that were a deep scarlet.

She never broke her gaze once, not when pulling the trigger, not even to look if she had hit her target. The screams of the man were loud animal-like, her shot made contact. The two for just a moment both glanced at her work. The human's right arm was completely blown off right at the elbow-joint and blood splattered across the desk and the marble floor. He tried to run for cover, but slipped and fell in the red pool. The pathetic thing actually pulled himself through the blood, a desperate attempt for survival, the fear of death pushing his body to the limit.

Pitch Black threw his head back and laughed, a wicked and cold laugh full of enjoyment. He laughed harder when the man actually yelled out in surprise at hearing the cackle from the Nightmare King. It stopped abruptly when Lida clamped his mouth shut with her hand. "Hush, you're too loud." She threw a cautious glance at the window and she could see armed men rush into the room. "Let's go, quickly," They were already across several rooftops when she stopped suddenly almost having the man collide into her, "and quietly."

Pitch made a face at being chided by a child like he was a child. A glance back showed the area was exploding with bright lights. The sight gave him chills, "So do you make it a habit to randomly shoot people's limbs off?"

"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?" She snapped by baring her fangs.

Her response made Pitch grin, he could sense her agitation and a little touch of fear, "~Someone's hiding a secret~" He sang in a whisper. They were back at the building and Lida was scaling the wall to the window when the man tugged her back down by her cloak. "Hold on a moment," She landed less than gracefully to the ground and crossed her arms. He had two seconds to say what he wanted, "you're not going to leave and miss out on all the fear you caused?" Pitch Black could feel the anxiety sparking across the city as misinformation of the attack fueled their fear.

"You don't hang around after making a hit unless you're so arrogant that you don't think you'll be caught." She was thinking practically just like a human who did something wrong. He laughed inwardly, fight or flight.

"No one saw you," Pitch stated, "that's why everyone is so scared." He offered his hand to her. "A simple observation from a safe distance, I promise." Lida looked at the upturn palm then to him. Curious, his eyes were gold in hue now.

Her hand took his' carefully, "Nothing stupid."

"That's what I said." A tug into the dark alley nearby and the two were gone. Across the street a homeless man watched this exchange, except it appeared the cloaked figure was talking to herself. The hobo muttered about these crazy teenagers on drugs.

* * *

Lida tugged her hood up before slouching in the park bench. The two had been there for a while sitting in this park, the place was dark and quiet, not a single person walked past. At first she was tense when across the body of water a string of police cars streaked down the road. As the sirens faded away her anxiety waned. Now the vampire was bored out of her skull.

Her companion on the other hand acted as if he was watching one of his favorite movies. Sitting in a perfect upright position and eyes keenly fixed to where the damage occurred. "You know they're suspecting the Hit man meant to kill the Ambassador and made a mistake in identifying his target. Is that right?" Pitch gave the woman a sidelong glance before reaching behind and tugging her hood back.

"He got that scar on his right ear working at Butchery." She flicked her own ear, "a meat hook got loose and put that gash there. I didn't _mistake_ my target."

"So then what is it, repaying an old wound?" His frame twisted slightly towards her and motioned with long fingers at her arm. The sleeve was still pulled up, but the wound had faded away as if it was never there. Pitch tapped a finger to his chin in thought. Russian, 'died' twenty years ago, a sharpshooter and has a gun wound to the arm that obviously the individual caused. The woman kept her jaw firmly shut and Pitch return to his previous sitting position. "Someone forget to pay you?" He guessed.

Nothing…

"…The man put a hit on you?"

Silence…

As this quietness continued she almost thought he gave up until a whisper brushed her ear, "One of five 'Tovarishch' who double-crossed you?" Lida jumped from the bench and Pitch roared with laughter. "Did you really think you can keep secrets from me?" A finger pointed at her and his face was smug, "Especially when you're _afraid_ those men will find out they are hunted and you will fail to complete your revenge."

"Then why all the guessing, Phobetor?" Lida scowled, she was so pissed that Pitch had to restrain from laughing again.

"Well I didn't want to seem pretentious and figured I would offer you the chance to tell the tale." He patted the bench for her to sit, this was his peace-offering, but Lida was deciding whether she could fly away and loose this prying little shadow or shoot that smart-ass smirk off his face.

"There's nothing to tell." The vampire crashed back in the bench and twisted herself to face away from him. Another pause as she sighed. "I'm trying to figure out if I made a run for it I could get away from you."

A dark laugh came from the man, "You can never escape fear." A glance at him showed a jagged grin and his eyes turned completely white. Then his eyes switched back to normal, "And why would you do that? I haven't been disruptive to your work."

"Except for you laughing like a madman from the roof," Lida muttered under her breath. She thought shades were silent and unassuming this man liked to gloat and show-off. What was the term for that?

Pitch still caught her words and stood up, "Perhaps I should show you something…." He motioned back to the path and they walked a while. "Let's see…" A couple was walking on a different path, no that wouldn't do. Further along there was a man sitting at a park bench playing with one of those sound boxes. No, he required some sort of attention span and this human would not be giving it. Finally the path opened into a lit parking lot and there were a group of young rowdy boys looking for a little excitement. "Here we go."

Lida sat back and watched with a stunned expression when the tall dark man walked into the group and took a seat on the truck bed with one of the boys. He literally passed through them as a ghost would. While the group ignored him some of the teens saw her and gave little cat calls, "How you doing, Beautiful?" One of the boys asked while Pitch gave a slight wave in her direction before calmly stepping down and slamming the door of the truck bed in place. The action sent the boys flying as if a bomb went off.

He returned to her side with a cackle and steered her back into the shadows. "You see, there is still fear, but little belief in the Boogeyman. So what harm is there to tell an unnoticed creature like me your story? I won't judge, I'll sit and listen, maybe throw in a few understanding nods. It's what you really want deep down," A finger touched her chest, "to unburden your heart."

"Why?" She meant why he would be so interested.

"Why? Let's just say you're becoming a fascinating distraction to me. And it doesn't hurt to have a little fear on your side."

They were back inside the abandoned building, standing at the hole in the ground. This was the point to make her choice. Leave and continue alone as Lida wanted or return with the un-believed in entity that would aggravate her to no end…. Who also had a lair connecting to any part of the world…that convenience would cut some rigorous traveling from the agenda. And maybe a little part of her thought for a creature embodying Fear he wasn't bad on the eyes although his 'friendly' full-toothed smile was a little jarring. The vampire sighed and took a step forward, falling into the hole.

Pitch chuckled under his breath at the irony, she refused to leave when told to and now she couldn't wait to get away when invited. His next step now was letting the woman trust him and trust is easily gained with familiarity. No need to rush into it, she would tell eventually. When they returned to the lair there was an offer for refreshment that she refused, so after preparing something for himself he took a seat with her on a short wall near the globe. Lida had observed the sparkling lights. "The lights of all the children who believe," Pitch explained.

"In you?"

"No."

"Who then?"

"Oh you know," he rolled his hand to generalize, "belief in say, the Tooth Fairy, Santa, the Easter Bunny, any holiday creature. It is important there is belief otherwise you disappear, you are forgotten. It is extinction."

"How funny," He raised an eyebrow at her, as if to say 'you think it's funny to disappear because some brats don't believe in you?' "What I mean is I'm always told if they don't believe at all it's safer, safer to be what you are and not let humans discover you and destroy you."

The shade paused to think over her statement. "Yes humans have that little habit, destroy things that frighten them." Pitch remembered the witch hunts, the Crusades, genocides and massacres he watched and laughed at the foolish humans killing each other over superstitions, wonderful material to spread fear. "Which is fine for you, you are a predator and you can't hunt if the flock knows you are there. Unfortunately, a lack of belief for me gives a nasty little side effect of humans phasing through you as if you were never there."

"Is that what will happen to you? Will you disappear?" There was sadness in her voice. That was a terrible existence, based on a child's belief you could be here one second and be gone the next.

Pitch chuckled as he shook his head, "No, fear will always exist; I will never be gone, not believed in. I'm not as strong as I used to be because of it." There was a moment's pause as the Boogeyman finished his drink. "Well I have children to scare before the morning comes."

"You're leaving?" She asked the retreating figure.

"That's the idea." His back still turned he motioned about the domain, "Feel free to explore, but I'm not responsible if you get lost." Pitch entered another tunnel and vanished into the darkness.


End file.
